Casting apparatus



D. Y 0 L L H H d d o M 0 NL CASTING APPARATUS.

' UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

' HENRY HERBERT LLOYD, OEcAIvIDEN, AssIGNoR V,To TI-IEv ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY coIvIBANY'oE GLOUCESTER-CITY, NEW JERSEY.

cAsTlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,553', dated October 14, 1890. Application filed `april 9, 1890. Serial No. 347,192. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.' f .Y

Be it known that I, HENRY HERBERT LLOYD, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, but now residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Casting Frames or Supports to or Around Battery Plates or Elements, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to apparatus for forcing molten metallic substances or materials to `form frames or supports for battery plates or elements by means of compressed air or other gases into suitable appliances to become cast to or around the plates or elements. The apparatus is not confined particularly to the employment of atmospheric air, as in some cases other gases-such as hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and carbonio oxide, commonly known as water-gasmay be employed, owing to the reducing properties of such gas or gases.

It is well understood by those skilled in the art of manufacturing battery plates ,or elements that lead and certain alloys thereof are peculiarly adapted for the frames or supports of battery plates or elements, and therefore these materials have been largely, if not exclusively, employed for such purposes, and in the practical employment of battery plates or elements it has been discovered that the presence of oxides, dross, or other impurities in the frames or supports has a deleterious effect upon them-that is, causes them to become rapidly per-oxidized and honey-combed.

Heretofore in the manufacture of frames or supports for battery plates or elements it has been customary to melt lead or an alloy thereof-for example, a mixture of lead and antimony-and pour the molten metal by means of a ladle into a mold containing active material or material to become active. This method in practice possessed, among others, the following serious disadvantages: If lead was the metal employed, the surface of the stream of molten lInetal running into the mold became oxidized by contact with the atmosphere, and this oxide or dross, becoming diffused throughout the frame or support, materially lessened the life or durability thereof. If an alloy of lead-for example, a mixture of lead and antimony--was the metallic materials employed, the stream of Inolten metal became chilled and hardened before it had time to iiow from the cylinder and fill the mold, thus not only rendering the nished casting defective, but also entailing a Waste of both time and material. In both cases the dross or other impurities collect upon the surface of the molten metal and are apt to be dippedup in the ladle and poured into the mold, and heretofore in the art of casting type, &o., a machine consisting, essentially, of a piston and cylinder has been employed to force the metal from the cylinder into the mold; but in the employment of such type ofmachine it is necessary to employ oil or other lubricants. However, this machine cannot be practically employed for making frames or supports around battery plates or elements, because in order to properly iill the molds it is necessary to heat the metal to such a temperature as will burn or otherwise destroy the voil or other lubricants, and thus cause the machine to become inoperative.

The principal objects of my present invention are, first, to obviate the above-mentioned defects and disadvantages and to provide a simple, durable, and eiiicient apparatus for casting frames or supports to or around battery plates or elements, and, second, to avoid the introduction of dross, oxides, and other impurities into the molds containing the active material or material to become active to form the plates or elements of a battery.

To carry the invention into effect the molten metal is forced by means of compressed gas into the mold or other appliance containing the active material or material to become active without permitting the molten metallic substance or material to come in contact with the air.

The nature and characteristic features of the invent-ion will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,

forming part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an ap- C is a furnace for heat-ing up the Crucible A.

D is a gas-holder provided with a` pipe E, communicating with a pump or other device for compressing gas.

Gis a pipe or other conductor provided with a safety-valve g, a pressure-gage g', and a three-way cock g2, communicating with the air. rIhis pipe G communicates with the gasholderD and with a cylinder H. The cylinder H rests upon the bottom of the Crucible A and is provided near the bottom thereof with apipe h, leading-to the mold B2, and with apipe h', leading to a pressure-valve I, having an inlet-opening i, located beneath the surface of the molten metal.

It may be remarked that good results have been obtained in practiceby making the contents of the cylinder H equal the contents of the mold B2, and therefore preference is given to such a construction.

The mode of operation of the above-described apparatus is as follows: The threeway cock g2 being turned. so that the cylinder H is in communication with the atmos-y phere, lead or an alloy thereof is melted in the crucible A by means of a fire in the furnace C, and flowing through the pressure-valve I fills the cylinder H, while at the same time gas under pressure is introduced into the vessel D through the inlet-pipe E. A mold or iask B2is placed upon the table B and the sprue of the mold is forced into air-tight connection with the pipe h by means of the handlever B3. The three-way cock g2 is then turned so that the gas from the Vessel D, passing through the pipe Ginto the cylinder H,4 forces the molten metal through the pipe h into the mold. When the mold is iilled, the three-way cocky2 is turned so that the gas is confined in the vessel D, and the gas remaining in the cylinder H is permitted to escape through the cock g2 into the atmosphere or into a suit-able holder for use again, in order that a fresh charge of molten lead may flow from the crucible A past the pressure-valveI into the vertical cylinder H. The mold B2 may then be replaced by another mold and the vabove-described process or operation repeated.

By drawing the metal from the bottom of the Crucible A all danger of forcing dross or other impurities into the mold is obviated, becausesuch-impurities collect and float on the surface of the metal in the crucible A. In most cases atmospheric air is the gas employed in the conduct of the above-described method of casting the frames or supports to 'or around the battery plates or elements; but

if lead were used to cast the supports the use of atmospheric air would be deleterious, because it would oxidize the surface of the lead within the cylinder H, with which it came in contact. Therefore preference is given to the employment of other suitable gases, such as hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and Carbonic oxide, Commonly known as watergas, for the reason that such gas or gases tend to reduce any oxide that may be present in the molten metal. By providing` an airtight connection between the pipe h and the sprue of the mold the molten metal or metallic materials is or are forced into the mold without coming in contact with atmospheric air, and this result is very beneficial, inasmuch as it tends to prevent the formation of oxides or dross.

Having thus described the nature androb- `jects of my invention, what I claim as new,

and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a Crucible, means for heating the same, a cylinderlocatedinsaid Crucible, a pressure-valve in communication with said cylinder, a holder, pipe-connections provided witha three-Way cock and extending from saidl holder to said cylinder, and a delivery-pipe from sai d cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of a crucible and furnace having a Cylinder mounted in and supported by said Crucible, a ball-valve mounted. in said cylinder and in communication therewith, a gas-holder located adjacentto said crucible, pipe-connections from said holder to said cylinder, and a delivery-pipe from said cylinder, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. The combination of a` cylinder for Containing a Huid or molten metal, a mold, a gasholder, pipe-connections from said Cylinder to said mold and to said gas-holder, anda threeway Cock interposed between said cylinder and gas-holder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of a cylinder, a pressure-valve in communication therewith for admitting iiuid metal thereto, a gas-holdera' pipe provided with acock and extending from said gas-holder to said cylinder, and a delivery-pipe from said cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of a frame-work for supporting a crucible andfurnace, atable attached to said frame-work andprovided with `a hand-lever, a mold, a gas-holder, aA cylinder provided with a pressure-valve incommunication with said Crucible, a pipe provided with a three-waycock and connecting said gas-holder and cylinder, and a delivery-pipe from said cylinder to said mold, said moldheld to place upon said table by said hand-lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination of a Cylinder, a pressure-valve in communication therewith for ad- IOO IIC

si 438,553 fmitting iuid metal thereto, a. holder, aJ pipe signaturein the presence of two subscribing provided with a oook, a safety-valve, and' a Witnesses. pressure-gage, said pipe extending from said holder to said cylinder, and a delivery-pipe HENRY' HERBERT LLOYD 5 from said cylinder, substantially as and for Witnesses: the purposes set forth. l THOMAS M. SMITH, Y 'x In witness whereof I have hereunto set my `HERMANN BORMA'NN; Y 

